Why does Qur’an not address people other than Jews, Christians and Muslims?

God and MonotheismQuestion asked by .Answered by Dr Khalid Zaheer

Question:

Qur’ān claims to be an open book for those who
want to have true guidance. But in its verses it usually
addresses Jews, Christians (the Nasārā) and Muslims only. Does
Islam not consider other religions like Buddhism, Hinduism
etc. important enough? Or does it consider them as
sub-religions of Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Or Islam
does not want (or require) to address those religions in the Qur’ān? Please clarify.

Answer:

My understanding is that it is wrong to expect from
the Qur’ān that it comment on each and every ideology of the
world that was in existence at the time of its revelation.
Although the Qur’ān is a book of guidance from the Almighty
for all times to come, He has talked in it about the issues
that were directly relevant to the immediate environment of
prophet Muhammad (sws). The basic purpose and the direct
subject matter of the Qur’ān was the successful completion of
prophet Muhammad’s worldly mission of ensuring the earthly
dominance of the ideology brought by him to the Arabian
peninsula: “It is He Who has sent His Apostle with Guidance
and the Religion of Truth that he may proclaim it over all
religion even though the Pagans (al-mushrikūn) may detest it,”
(61:9). We therefore find that the religious problems
associated with the people who were his immediate addressees
have been directly discussed in the Qur’ān.

The Jews and Nasāra (Christians settled in what was then
Arabia) have been talked of in detail in it because these two
religious communities were directly confronted by the Prophet
(sws). We don’t find the mention in the Qur’ān of the beliefs
that were not held by the Christians of Arabia, even though
they were very much found in other Christians of the world.
For instance, we don’t find in the Qur’ān the mention of the
belief that Jesus (sws), died at the cross for the sins of
mankind. Likewise, the polytheists of the Arabian peninsula
have been directly addressed in the Qur’ān, while Hindus,
Buddhists and other religious groups have not been directly
addressed for the same reason.

It would have been against the interests of the immediate
purpose of the Qur’ānic mission of enabling the religion of
Allah to prevail over all other religions of the Arabian
peninsula had the Qur’ān talked about the other religions of
the world theoretically. It was the duty of the Muslims of
later times to derive understanding from Qur’ānic verses to
find the correct approach towards other religions too in the
light of what the Qur’ān has mentioned regarding the people of
the Arabian society. Indeed there is enough material available
in the contents of the Qur’ān to enable Muslims to form
correct opinions about essentially all the important religious
matters man confronts even today. As for detailed solutions to
these matters, the Almighty wants us to use our intellect
which has been given to us by Him to find out solutions to
them.